Team-Building Trends and Activities Around the World

Team building is important because it helps build morale among the workforce and trust within the ranks. Team-building activities and events help executives retain a strong staff and even help when dealing with change and uncertainty within the company. Amazingly, these team-building activities and events can vary around the world. Knowing what other companies are doing from other regions can give you ideas as to what may work with your staff.

Purpose of Team-Building Activities

There are many reasons why companies around the world engage in team-building activities. They include:

· The company may be changing hands, creating a great deal of confusion and uneasiness among employees. Team building can help mitigate this uncertainty.

· Team building helps with long-term organizational development. Team building includes fun activities, but there is always a teaching element involved.

· Team building helps employees become acquainted with each other. When workers within a company feel closer to those they are working with, they are more likely to work well with them and succeed.

· The work environment can be tough, so a team-building event or activity can show the employees how much they are appreciated.

Team-building activities can last for hours or days. Some companies keep their employees at home, while others will take them to a destination. For instance, a company in Ohio may take their employees to the mountains to go skiing. In between activities, they will work on goals for the company.

Team-Building Trends

Many team-building trends have been around for a while, and others are emerging. For example, activities involving virtual reality and augmented reality open employees up to new experiences. Some companies are even implementing charitable elements into their team-building activities. Charitable projects can involve building homes or working with underprivileged communities.

There is a variety of team-building activities around the world. Some of them are highlighted below.

United States:

In the United States, there are many types of team-building activities. There are parties that allow everyone to let loose and have a good time. However, teams will get together and do charitable work, like building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Getting out of the regular work environment where the employees can do something else that requires them to work together has proven effective in many ways. Not only do the employees get to know each other, they can see how well they really do work together. If there were teamwork issues before, such activities can resolve them. Not only are team members doing something that benefits the business, they are doing something that makes them feel good.

Australia:

In Australia, it isn’t unusual to see a corporate team running obstacle courses together. These are courses that can get muddy, but the employees can help each other and have a lot of fun. This is a type of team-building exercise that can be seen in other places around the world, as well.

Asia:

Asian corporations are known for their efficiency, so it makes sense that they won’t spend a lot of time on team-building activities. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have them. Asian team building comes in the way of short games. These games allow employees to get to know each other and exchange ideas.

Norway:

Norway is a team-building hotspot because there is so much to do. Examples of typicalteam-building events include Gambler’s night, costume balls, kickoff events, Oktoberfest,summer parties and team-building activities that require employees to work together in specific indoor and outdoor scenarios. Much of what is trending in the realm of team building in Norway focuses on educational fun that helps employees learn about one another while working together.

Britain:

It isn’t unusual for Britons to engage in team-building activities that involve alcohol. There are several team-building venues that include beer and wine tasting and boats. Even dance studios have a place in the world of building up teams. If you really want to get your team working together, have them take a cooking class together. Britain is known for its creativity, and that is something you can find in team-building activities. There is really no limit to what corporations will have their employees do to make them work well together in the workplace.

Canada:

Canada is also a team-building activity hotspot. There are culinary events, races, outdoor activities, indoor activities, and even boat building. If you really want to get your employees’ minds working, you can have them investigate a staged crime scene or simply pay it forward to strangers on the street. Team building in Canada can be adventurous, but there are times when the activities are contained to a conference room.

Germany:

Team-building programs in Germany can take the form of whitewater rafting or geocaching games. The goal is for the team to have fun and experience an adventure. At the same time, employees learn to trust one another. When a team is pushed to new limits, members tend to work better together because they have an improved understanding of one another.

France:

In France, team building is about action. GPS rallies, sightseeing, pedestrian rallies, treasure hunts, oenological rallies, and detective parties are some of the activities that teams can enjoy. Some of the activities can be considered unusual. Playful activities include cooking while singing, video games, wine making, and whiskey tastings. All this sounds like a lot of fun because it is.

Lessons from Around the World

All in all, there are some great lessons from around the world. As unusual as some team-building activities sound, all of the mentioned countries are able to implement most, if not all, of them. Whether you’re looking for something more conservative or something more adventurous, there are many activities that you can use to bring your team closer together.